May 2, 2012 – YA Chit Chat

Why, you smile and post them proudly knowing that someone else thought enough of you to nominate you.

Over the last couple of days, I received the Beautiful Blogger Award from the lovely Carrie Rubin and the lovely Butterfly Julz awarded me the Versatile Blogger Award.

Thank you very much, ladies.

I’m supposed to list seven things about me you may not know, so here goes:

I used to own a 1966 Ford Mustang. I should have never sold it.

I have seen the Rocky Horror Picture show in theaters 127 times.

My favorite wine is Martini and Rossi Asti Spumanti

I love anything Chenille.

If I could adopt and care for every stray animal in the world, I would.

I’ve read Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix 11 times (my fave out of the HP books)

I prefer sundresses to shorts any day.

I’m supposed to pick bloggers to hand these awards to, but I’m in a very generous mood this week. I had a really weird start to the week and all of you came out and rallied behind a friend and me when we were both feeling down and all of you deserve both awards in my opinion. As writers, we are all versatile. We all have other activities we tend to every day. Some of us are into scrapbooking, some write poetry, some have family and kids and others are going through their own health issues. We all lean on each other for support and we all are there for each other through all the ups and downs. I can’t thank you enough for being the individuals you are and for sharing a part of you with me every day. To me, that makes all of you beautiful.

Enjoy your rewards and show them proudly! 🙂

I’m so pretty, oh so pretty. Oh. You meant my blog. (emmabauer.wordpress.com)

Up until a couple of weeks ago, my writing was on fire. I couldn’t get enough. It was during this time I stumbled upon a publisher’s shout out for short stories for their upcoming anthology. The story had to be based on a picture prompt they provided. I had one story in the slush pile beneath my bed I thought would work, but after playing with it, I decided to chuck it and write a new one.

I pondered the picture for a couple of months (yes, I said months), not sure of where I wanted to go with it or how I wanted to get there. I couldn’t think of anything to write. The story had to be adult fiction. I write YA. The publisher is known to publish books filled with romance. I don’t do romance (not well anyway). I also knew the planned release date of the anthology and nothing I came up with coincided with the nearby holiday.

Three weeks before the submission deadline, the story came to me and I wrote like a fiend. After tons of beta reads, revisions, more beta reads, more revisions, I finally had something presentable. I submitted.

And now I wait. In the meantime, my motivation to write has all but up and gone. I don’t understand. I have three manuscripts looking at me, begging me to revisit them, and I don’t have the umph to do it. I needed a quick kick in the rump.

I tried taking a walk, bicycling. I ate, but nothing worked, so I headed over to Script Frenzy to get a five-minute writing exercise prompt. Oh heavens. Do I have some weird things to write about today. Thanks, Script Frenzy, for stimulating my creative juices. Check out these whackadoodles:

In a world where mustaches are illegal, a cartographer from the future begins training for a lifetime of piratehood. (this has soooo many possibilities)

Where reality and fantasy intersect, a talking flute tries to break into pro Sumo wrestling.

En route to a llama resort, a disgruntled Yeti is mistaken for Elton John and goes with it. (love this one!)

In a world ruled by chickens, a hooker with a heart of gold discovers a shocking use for spray cheese. (intriguing)

While at a Super Bowl party, a feuding polka band plans a camp-out in a haunted bayou. (this one made me chuckle)

Now you tell me…if I can’t find something to write about with these, there’s something seriously wrong with me. That Yeti and Elton John prompt has me going all over the place. I’m getting visuals of the Yeti jamming to Crocodile Rock when he meets a Rocket Man and says to Good-bye Yellow Brick Road. One day, he meets a Tiny Dancer who is in love with a Pinball Wizard who is filled with Madness….

Gotta go guys. I’ve got Elton on the brain. I don’t know how this will all end up, but I will say this…this prompt Ain’t Gonna Be Easy, and Madness May Take Over, but I’m sure by the end, I’ll be singing Someone Saved My Life Tonight.

Oh, and this has given me an idea for a contest. Stay tuned. Friday I’ll bring on all the details!!